The Next America Taking Stock: 50 Years of the Higher Education Act

June 9, 2015
Washington, D.C.

50 years ago, Pres­id­ent Lyn­don John­son signed the High­er Edu­ca­tion Act in­to law with the ob­ject­ive of mak­ing col­lege more ac­cess­ible and af­ford­able for stu­dents. Today, the United States has fallen to 12th in the world in four year de­gree at­tain­ment. Tu­ition has soared and stu­dent loan debt has crossed the $1 tril­lion mark.

By 2020, Pres­id­ent Obama once again wants Amer­ica to have the highest pro­por­tion of col­lege gradu­ates in the world. What is it go­ing to take to achieve high levels of col­lege gradu­ates in the world. What is it go­ing to take to achieve high levels of col­lege com­ple­tion? Have we demo­crat­ized ac­cess to high­er edu­ca­tion? What will law­makers fo­cus on as they pre­pare to reau­thor­ize the High­er Edu­ca­tion Act this year?

Na­tion­al Journ­al hos­ted a for­um of key stake­hold­ers and ex­perts dis­cuss­ing to what ex­tent we have suc­ceeded in ful­filling the goals of the High­er Edu­ca­tion Act of 1965 and what re­forms and in­nov­a­tion are needed.

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